Chris Lewis

Chris Lewis
News Editor at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Master of Environmental Management, 2018
Clean Energy Finance Forum Conservation Finance Network

Chris Lewis serves as the editor of Clean Energy Finance Forum and the Network. He collaborates with students and staff to produce cutting-edge, pragmatic "solutions journalism" on energy and conservation business. 

As a journalist, Chris has written about economics, the environment, and international affairs for a number of publications, including The Atlantic, Harper’s, and the Miami Herald. He has also worked as a developmental editor for books by Yale faculty on the environment, business, and social science—most recently A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, forthcoming in 2019 from Yale University Press.

He holds a Master’s of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a Bachelor’s in economics from American University. His master’s thesis focused on climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder agriculture in Rwanda. 

In addition to his editing and writing, Chris has worked on urban agriculture issues in Detroit, as a financial case manager for clients with chronic mental illness, and as an early childhood Spanish-immersion educator.

Authored Articles
Larry Selzer

Larry Selzer / The Conservation Fund

Interview: The Conservation Fund’s Green Bond for American Forests

In September, The Conservation Fund announced the closing of its $150 million green bond. The environmental nonprofit offered the 10-year notes in order to expand its Working Forest Fund. CFN spoke to Conservation Fund CEO Larry Selzer about how the organization will use bond funds, the experience of offering a...
Pensacola, Florida

The Gulf of Mexico on the Pensacola, Florida coast / Capt_tain Tom / CC BY 2.0

Building Demand in US Water Quality Trading Markets

Environmental credit trading programs have gained traction for pollutants like carbon emissions, at least in concept. Is water quality trading the next frontier? The mechanism offers the possibility of more flexible and cost-effective water quality control, but in contrast to some environmental credits, markets have struggled to gain momentum.
Proctor Creek in Atlanta

How does Atlanta's Proctor Creek connect to national water management and worldwide carbon mitigation? The same way conversations about small projects connect to global biodiversity breakthroughs.  / Shawn Taylor / CC BY 2.0 

Atlanta Environmental Impact Bond Breaks Into Public Market

The city of Atlanta has new funds for green infrastructure. In January 2019, the city — in partnership with impact investing intermediary firm Quantified Ventures — closed a $14 million environmental impact bond (EIB) for stormwater management in the city’s Proctor Creek watershed.